Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken are identical twins, medical doctors and science broadcasters. They grew up in London, surrounded by old paintings and documents commemorating a host of characters from their Dutch ancestry. But despite the wealth of the family archive, the twins know very little about their Dutch family history, except how to pronounce their surname correctly and rumours of a connection to Dutch nobility.

A chat with mum and dad provides some intriguing clues, a coat of arms that no-one can translate, a silver shovel that hints at an Indonesian connection and a document about a Dutch sea captain with links to the British Navy. Keen to find out the family stories behind all these familiar but mysterious artefacts, Chris and Xand start with sea captain Jan Tulleken and head to Chatham Docks.

They soon uncover the eventful seafaring career of their four-times great-grandfather Jan Tulleken, a staunch royalist who joined the Dutch navy at 13 and, as war engulfed the Netherlands, was exiled in England alongside his leader, the prince of Orange.

Chris and Xand follow the trail of Jan back to the Netherlands, where they discover how Jan was tasked to protect Dutch trade routes against Algerian pirates – a mission that ended in failure. Undaunted by his tarnished reputation, Jan applied for noble status. Excited to finally get to the bottom of their noble roots, a trip to The Hague's Supreme Council of Nobility brings Chris and Xand firmly back down to earth.

By following Jan's line further back, the twins uncover a letter that reveals an Ambrosius Tulleken, Jan's father and the twins' five-times great-grandfather, who died in Demerara (now Guyana,) which at the time was a Dutch colony. Following this lead reveals a troubling story.

The twins also believe there is a family connection with Indonesia and taking the silver shovel to an expert reveals the story of their three-times great-grandfather Hendrik de Bruijn, a Dutch engineer working on canals in Indonesia who married Maria de la Brethoniere, the daughter of a French coffee baron and an Indonesian woman. Chris and Xand have confirmed their Indonesian heritage and as they learn more about their three-times great-grandparents, the twins are moved to read a document that recounts Hendrik's profound grief after his wife's death, suggesting that this was a marriage of deep love.

For Chris and Xand, it's a journey that has changed them forever, as they've found answers about their name and their heritage that were previously unknown and entirely unexpected.

Born to an Irish mum and a Jamaican dad, Dev Griffin grew up feeling he didn't fit in either community. He hopes discovering more about his ancestors will help him strengthen his sense of identity and belonging.

On his first ever trip to Ireland, Dev uncovers the momentous events surrounding the lives of his Irish grandmother's dad, his great-grandad Frank Weafer, and Frank's brother Patrick, Dev's great-great-uncle. Both were involved in Ireland's fight for independence in the early 20th century. Patrick Weafer marched to Dublin to fight in the Easter Rising, a decision that put him in a gunfight on Dublin's rooftops and in the middle of one of the most significant events in modern Irish history.

Similar to his brother, Frank became involved in the republican movement during the Irish War of Independence and had a role in a cycling corps, delivering intelligence messages. Both lived to see the declaration of the Irish Free State.

Next, Dev travels to Kilkee on the west coast of Ireland to learn about his Irish grandfather's dad, his great-grandfather James Griffin, who was known by his Gaelic name, Séamus Mór Ó Gríobhtha. As he uncovers Séamus's involvement in the Gaelic League, Dev learns about the battle to preserve Irish culture and language during this period. Dev is astonished by what he learns about Ireland's history and reveals how proud he is of his Irish ancestors.

Following his father's line, Dev travels to Jamaica. An emotional meeting with his newly discovered auntie Viveine leads Dev to an incredible document from the local Baptist church that reveals the day-to-day lives of his great-grandparents Joshua and Annie Riley, including some rather cheeky details, to paint an astonishingly intimate picture of island life in the early 20th century.

Discovering his ancestry uncovers stories of bravery, family and love, and Dev can finally claim both his Irish and Jamaican heritage with knowledge and pride.